Crafted with precision, this sizeable Taino celt boasts a meticulously hand-polished surface. The most numerous category of polished stone sculpture emerging from the Taíno world of the ancestral Caribbean islands are ceremonial axes and blades, which take many forms and may have been an important medium of exchange. Ceremonial blades made of different types of greenstone, both local and imported, have been recovered in large numbers. These axes, known as petaloid celts for their resemblance to flower petals, could have served as dedicatory offerings, which have a long history on the Caribbean mainland in Mesoamerica. For a similar example see Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number: 1994.35.417 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/317166 Medium: Stone Dimensions: Height: 10 3/4 inches (23.3 cm) Condition: Intact and in excellent condition. Custom mounted. Provenance: Private NY collection, acquired in the 1990s and then by descent.
